What’s the difference between a garden and a Feng Shui garden? In a word, love. 

A Feng Shui garden is a holistic garden co-created with nature. Flowers are still picked, trees and shrubs are trimmed, and the lawn is mowed but it’s all done with appreciation and thanks. A careful hand is used, not one that grabs and damages what’s touched. 

A Feng Shui garden is a garden that embraces an understanding that first and foremost, we are the earth. A Feng Shui garden embraces organic methods, as these are methods that nourish, replenish and reenergize the earth in a natural and safe manner. If we tend to those spaces of earth that are our responsibility with the same care we choose for ourselves, our gardens prosper. And when our gardens prosper, the earth prospers. 

 Soft undulating color and curving walls
embrace you with beauty 

As Minnie Kansman states in Spirit Gardens, “Feng Shui is about tuning into all that surrounds us, knowing that what we are surrounded by affects us deeply. Our mood, energy level and even our health are influenced by the spaces we occupy.” 

Nature flows along the path, and the path is curved. Create flowing paths in your garden, curving walkways from the street to your front door, soft flowing paths from your driveway to the front door, soft flowing paths through your garden. These paths should be easy to see, safe and well lit, gently pulling you forward with the movement and grace of their curves. 

A curved pathway draws you forward and welcomes you

One of the ways to incorporate the principles of Feng Shui into your garden or just an area in your garden is to utilize the Bagua . The Bagua is a template or grid with 9 sections, it is used to map the space being evaluated. (Home, property, business.) Each section defines the fundamental life energies present in all places around us and shows how these energies are affected by one another and the natural phases of nature. 

The nine life areas are Career, Inner Knowledge, Family, Abundance, Illumination, Relationships, Creativity, Helpful People and Health & Balance sits in the center position. Each life area has attributes that are specific to it: color, elemental relationship, shape and the energy of the area itself. (Click here for your FREE Bagua map with instructions.)  

An easy way to work with these 9 life areas is to incorporate the colors of the areas or items that represent the energy of the areas.

For example in the area of: 

• Relationships: add red, yellow or pink flowers
• Fame: add red
• Abundance: add red, purple, green and gold
• Family: green and blue
• Inner Knowledge: add blue and yellow – this is a wonderful place to add a meditation area or simply a comfy place to sit and enjoy the beauty of your garden
• Career: incorporate a fountain or birdbath, and the color white
• Helpful People: area add white
• Creativity: add something that embraces the spirit of creativity to you and the color white
• Health: add yellow, red or deep orange

Your Feng Shui garden is your personal sanctuary, your spirit garden. It’s not only about how it looks, it’s also about how it feels. A Feng Shui garden can be big or small; size isn’t what’s important. What’s important is that you take the time to connect to your space and in that connection you’ll feel a sense of comfort and welcome. 

Reconnect to nature and incorporate Feng Shui in your garden and beauty and inspiration will surround you. Your spirit will be enriched. 

© 2010 Harmony Life, LLC by Laurie Bornstein 

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Feng Shui Teacher, Designer and Entrepreneur Laurie Bornstein, is the author and creator of ‘Feng Shui Lifestyle’, her FREE monthly ezine filled with Feng Shui and Lifestyle Marketing articles and tips, empowering and inspiring you to live and work in comfort, balance and harmony. 

Visit www.harmonylifedesign.com to learn more.

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